Depression - “Hope for the Hopeless”
Notes
Transcript
Depression - “Hope for the Hopeless”
I Kings 19:1-18
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Hook - Depression is something that everyone has in their family tree and no one talks about. Isn’t it interesting that both addiction and mental health struggles are in all of our families somewhere, but we are all silent about it.
There was a time that your pastor had a very deep dark season in my life. I am not unfamiliar with depression.
I am also not unfamiliar with family secrets about mental illness.
Just a few months ago my mom tells me that one of my uncles (now deceased) was hospitalized for depression several times and had electric shock therapy, because his depression was so severe.
I’m thinking, “You know, it would have been nice to know that depression runs in the family, before I had my season with it.”
But we are quiet about it. Embarrassed about it. Don’t know how to talk about it.
Many famous Christians and Biblical Leaders struggled with some kind of depression or very low mood.
****** This is important for you to hear. If you battle depression. If it is not going away. If you have thoughts of self harm. You need to see a doctor.
Some may say, The doctor is going to want me to take pills and I don’t like that.
You know what we call medication that helps our blood pressure and medicine that helps our depression or anxiety?
Common Grace. To reject a medication that is helpful is to reject a gift of grace God is trying to bless you with.
Today - I want you to see that God walks with you in your depression.
Transition - Today, in our passage, Elijah is distraught. He is struggling with a depression.
Transition - First truth I want you to see is that ...
1. Stressful situations can cause depression
Vs. 2 & 3, He was afraid and ran for his life.
In chapter 18 Elijah has a contest with the 450 prophets of Baal. The contest was to see who’s God was real. There were 2 alters made. Bulls slaughtered on them. The objective was to ask their god to reign down fire on the alter.
The 450 Prophets of Baal could not call down fire on their offering to Baal, but Elijah asked God to bring down fire on his alter.
God did and it burned it all up.
God proved through a miracle how real He was and how false the prophets of Baal were.
Elijah had the people execute the 450 false prophets. These were men who that wicked queen Jezabel financially supported and who led in demon worship.
-Jezabel said, (vs 2-3) You’ll be dead in 24 hours.
How does Elijah respond?
Elijah runs for his life. He is afraid. vs. 3
Here is our first sign of depression.
-vs. 4 He asks God to take his life.
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One day God uses one of the Godliest of biblical characters to do an incredible miracle.
-The next day Elijah has a depression and wants to die.
I thought if you walked with God close enough or if you were a strong enough Christian or if you had enough faith you would not struggle with mental illness and hopelessness.
Sound BHAAAH - Wrong - Mighty Elijah did.
In spite of God working miraculously through him, Elijah wants to die.
There are 2 kinds of depression.
Depression that starts in external situations.
Depression that starts internally.
Illustration - 2 weekends ago with the death of Tony Pennington, the situation with Ott, a concern I had regarding the church, the loss of some personal time I was looking forward to … My mood was not up.
I wasn’t depressed, it was soberness, I was overly serious, I felt stressed … Susan kept asking me. “Are you upset? Is something wrong?”
Outward circumstances had affected my inward mood.
Thankfully, It was temporary. We’ve all had times like this.......
Elijah had a depression that came from external situations
You may have struggled with this.
-Like Elijah, external forces become too much.
-The loss of friend.
-Pressure at work.
-A child who has had a major moral failing in their life or has contracted a disease.
-The external becomes overwhelming and crushing.
-The weight is heavy it is internally painful. You lack clarity in some decision making.
No matter how difficult the external situations get ...
God walks with you in your depression.
Transition - Here is our second truth...
II. God does not forget ME in My distress, vs. 5-7
-God reaches out to Him.
Read verses. 5 - 8
God sends an angel and miraculous food to feed him.
-Elijah is exhausted.
-He sleeps, gets up and eats, goes back to bed, gets up and eats again.
-Ever had such a stressful situation that you were exhausted?
God does not forget you in you distress.
God walks with you in your depression.
God ministered to Elijah and He will minister to you too.
Transition - God doesn’t allow Elijah to sit around in his gloom. God gets Elijah up and moving.
Vs 8. God will sustains me through the difficulty.
God sends Elijah on a journey to meet Him.
I want you to notice that God does not heal Elijah of His Depression immediately. God waits.
This is a 40 day and night journey on foot to Mount Horeb - Mount Sinai.
Their’s a Miracle here we can’t miss. Read Verse 8,
- 40 days and nights traveling with no food on foot. 40 days still in despair.
-This may have been the longest 40 days of His life.
-Alone, hiking, walking, while fasting for 40 days.
-On the strength of this supernatural food.
Where was Elijah headed?
-Mount Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai, Where the 10 Commandments were given (Moses)
-Where God met with Moses.
-Elijah would have been very familiar with the story
-Moses was up on this mountain for 40 days and nights fasting, and meeting with God.
-Elijah is fasting 40 days and traveling to meet with God.
Illustration - Martin Luther - The Father of the Reformation
on August 2, 1527, Luther wrote:
I spent more than a week in death and hell. My entire body was in pain, and I still tremble. Completely abandoned by Christ, I labored under the vacillations and storms of desperation and blasphemy against God. But through the prayers of the saints (his friends), God began to have mercy on me and pulled my soul from the inferno below.
The point is this.
God sustained the great Martin Luther through terrible times.
Go sustained Elijah.
God will sustains you through the difficulty.
God walks with you in your depression.
Transition - Next we see in our passage
God will minister to me gently in my depression. vs. 11-18
Read vs 11-13
-God shows Elijah His power and might.
-Control over weather (Wind)
-Control over the earth, Earth quake - Plate Tectonics
-Control over the elements, Fire
-God shows up with what Elijah needs in that moment.
-Gentleness, a Low Whisper
In Dane Ortland’s book “Gentle and Lowly” he writes
“If we never come to him, we will experience a judgment so fierce it will be like a double-edged sword coming out of his mouth at us . If we do come to him, as fierce as his lion-like judgment would have been against us, so deep will be his lamb-like tenderness for us.” unquote
This is how God desires to minister to you when you are hurting & wounded. He ministers in gentleness and kindness.
-Will you call on Him? Will you Cry out to Him?
Transition - God doesn’t give Elijah any time to sit in his depression and let it grow more roots. God pushes Elijah out. He reestablishes his purpose.
God ministers to you in your depression, so that you can continue to minister to others.
-I must continue to minister to others. (vs. 15-18)
-My friend, God desires for you to reach out and minister to others even when you are hurting.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
You must continue to minister to others, even while hurting.
It is good for your eyes to get off yourself and on to others.
God has not sidelined you or disqualified you because you are struggling.
God walks with you through depression so that you can, continue to minister to others.
Transition - As we close, We are reminded of Jesus.
Gospel/Close
Who’s greatest ministry came during the most painful time in His life - on the Cross.
Jesus kept his eyes focused on The Father and those who He was serving.
So much so that - On the Cross Jesus even said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
God walked with His Son through the pain as He made a payment for sin.
The Father will walk with you through the pain.
Pray